Protecting Fish and Wildlife Resources
The Service uses its authorities under the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act and Federal Power Act to protect fish and wildlife resources. Protection of these resources is accomplished through early coordination between the Service and other federal agencies on project planning and design to minimize potential environmental impacts and provide for successful mitigation for unavoidable impacts.
Coordination may include projects constructed by Federal agencies, permitted under the Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program and projects licensed for non-Federal hydropower projects, as well as various federal actions on and off federal lands.
If you're looking for information related to threatened and endangered species, visit the Permits and Federal Consultation pages.
Click each link below to learn more.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) provides a broad review of alternatives to protect public interests, which include fish and wildlife. For any "major federal action that significantly affects the quality of the human environment," the NEPA process requires the lead federal agency to prepare a detailed environmental impact statement for public review.
Through the NEPA process, the Service reviews and comments on the environmental planning activities of all Federal agencies to minimize adverse impacts that may occur to fish and wildlife. The benefits of successful environmental coordination include favorable resolution of natural resource conflicts, timely coordination of Service activities pertaining to NEPA compliance, and more informed decision making. Environmental reviews for projects proposed by other federal agencies in the northeast U.S. are an integral part of the region's responsibilities.
Hydroelectric power projects licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can result in significant impacts on the environment, such as blocking fish passage, injury to fish from passage over dams or through turbines, and reductions or fluctuations in river flow, which degrade or eliminate instream habitat. Through its involvement in analyzing and preparing recommendations on these projects, the Service can influence the manner in which a permitted and/or licensed activity is carried out to help protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats.
The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act requires the lead federal agency involved in a development project to obtain assistance from the Service and State wildlife agencies to ensure that fish and wildlife conservation receives equal consideration in project planning. The Service provides comments and assistance on natural resource conservation to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on proposed projects affecting wetlands regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. The Region coordinates and supports the northeast field offices with identifying means to avoid, minimize and compensate for adverse impacts to fish and wildlife.
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